13th Annual Fall Festival Alpaca Show

Handcrafter's Spin Off

Fleece Championship
Sponsors:

The Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies invites you to participate in its
3rd ANNUAL HANDCRAFTER’S SPIN-OFF COMPETITION
held in conjunction with the Fall Festival Alpaca Show.

The competition is an easy way to participate wherever you live and provides you, the exhibitor, with an opportunity to have a small amount – 2 oz  of fiber from your best fiber alpacas spun by expert hand spinners.  This is a great way to discover what your animal is really producing and another opportunity to bring home ribbons.

All entries will be displayed at the ABR Fall Festival Alpaca Show

Meet This Year's Judge

Barb Dedecker, along with her husband, Bob, own Rapunzel’s Farm located in Larkspur, just North of Monument.  With the fiber from 15 plus animals, she spins, knits, crochets, designs some of her own patterns and teaches knitting out of her home and a local shop.  She has been the coordinator for the Fiber Arts/skeins competition for a number of years and has worked closely with the judges.  Many of these have been judges for the Spin-off Competition in prior years, such as Claire Walker and Karen Kinyon.  Barb spins all her own fiber now winning blue ribbons when she enters them and is also beginning to spin for other alpaca ranchers as well.

Questions ? E-mail this years coordinator Diane Hollenbeck at hullcreekvalleyfarms@comcast.net  or call 303-913-4991

Online Registration

REGISTER ONLINE for the Handcrafters' Spin-Off

Entry Fee
Entry of one  2-ounce sample                                                 $26.00
Non-member fee if not an AOBA Show Division Member         $75.00
     (one non-member fee covers all events)

Awards
Ribbons for 1st through 6th place
Judge’s Choice
Highest Scoring Fleece in a Color Group

2009 Show Rules
Deadline for all entries must be postmarked September 30, 2009, but please send as soon as possible to facilitate judging.

Entry Requirements (must accompany all entries)                                       
1. Handcrafter's Spin-Off Entry Form [PDF]
2. Minimum 2 ounces of prime blanket fiber (note “Fiber Requirements/Limitations” below) 
3. Completed Spin-Off Entry Tag
4. Copy of ARI Registration Certificate and Buyer’s Permission to Show Form (if applicable)
5. 4x6-inch COLOR photograph (no larger photo will be accepted) of the alpaca producing the fiber entered. Please attach photograph to the ARI Registration Certificate.  For display purposes, please do not fold certificate or photograph.
6. As noted in the AOBA Show Division Handbook, 7th edition, Entries must be entered by current owner, farm or member of partnership      as shown on
7. ARI Registration Certificate, unexpired ARI Contract Buyer Certificate or Buyer’s Permission to Show Form and must accompany exhibitor’s entry signed by current owner of record of the alpaca as shown on ARI Registration Certificate

Entry Limitations
Entries are limited to 3 samples per farm/owner/partnership, per breed ,type, per age division at time of shearing, per color designation.
Example:  You can enter a maximum of 3 LF Huacaya entries in the same age class number per farm/owner/partnership.

Fiber Requirement/Limitations Fleece must have been shorn between August 1, 2008 and August 29, 2009
1.     2 ounces of prime blanket fiber must be submitted in a clear, unmarked, gallon-size zipper lock bag with the completed “ABR Fall Festival Handcrafters’ Spin-Off Entry Tag” placed inside the bag with the fiber.  Please send only 2 ounces of fiber.  There is no advantage to sending more than 2 ounces.
2.        DO NOT WRITE ON THE ZIPPER LOCK BAG
3.        Fiber shall not be carded, combed, washed or otherwise enhanced; however, it should be handpicked of debris and vegetable matter. 
4.        Fiber must be at least 3” long (see Huacaya and Suri below). 
       Huacaya:  No maximum length if prior to 1st birthday, with a maximum of 8” for 1st birthday and older
       Suri:  No maximum length if prior to 2nd birthday, with a maximum of 8” for 2nd birthday and older

Class Division
Classes will be divided according to the number of entrees, Fleece Show Level and class division rules in the order listed below.
1.     Breed type
2.     Age of alpaca at time of shearing or by gender depending on Fleece Show level
3.     Color group
4.     Color designation
Final determination of class divisions and entry colors will be made by the Spin-Off Show Superintendent.

Judging Criteria
1.     Judge will card and spin an equal portion of the fiber from each sample entered.
2.     Scoring will be based on first impression, staple length, cleanliness, lack of second cuts, lack of guard hair or modulated fiber, lock structure, luster (suris) or brightness (huacayas), ease of spinning, ease of preparation, softness of yarn, loft and texture.
3.     Fiber that is unsound, felted, contains tender breaks, mats, or excessive debris will be discounted accordingly but will not be disqualified.
4.     Fiber samples of less than the 3” minimum or longer than show rules allow and those showing parasitic infestation shall be disqualified.  The Reason for disqualification shall be recorded on the score card and the Judge’s Worksheet.
5.     Entries postmarked after September 30, 2009 will not be judged.
6.     Fiber will be judged by entry number only, with no exhibitor information visible or available to the judge (s).
7.     Results of judges’ spinning and placing of entries will be on display at the 2009 ABR Rocky Mountain Fleece Harvest, November 7, 8 2009.

Entry Returns     
You must include a one-time $7.00 shipping fee to have your entries and awards shipped back to you following the ABR Rocky Mountain Fleece Harvest.  You, or a representative that you designate, may also pick up the fleece entries after  noon (12:00pm) Sunday, November 8th 2009. at “The Ranch”  Entries not picked up or those without the shipping fee prepaid will not be returned.

 

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